In recent years, NC State has adopted a campus-wide sustainability initiative. The focus on sustainability across campus has taken shape in many different ways, especially as an increasing number of student organizations align themselves with the effort. To be classified as “sustainable,” there is an Online Certification Form. Started in 2014 and later revised in 2017, organizations such as Student Government, Zero Waste Wolves and NC State Stewards have received this recognition for supporting the initiative for sustainability on campus.
“A sustainable organization would be one that finds a good balance between association of the three pillars of sustainability, being economic, social and environmental,” said Haley Hall, student coordinator of NC State Stewards and a fourth-year studying environmental science. “So oftentimes when we say the word sustainability, we think of going green and environmentalism and the movement, but it is really much more than that.”
In the 2019 sustainability report, NC State was ranked No.17 on The Princeton Review’s list of “Top 50 Green Colleges,” up from No.42 in 2018. The report also says that 71% of incoming NC State students in 2018 were influenced by the university’s commitment to the environment and sustainability when deciding to attend NC State.
NC State currently has nine student organizations that are certified as “sustainable.” To receive this certification, each organization must incorporate sustainable practices into everything from their mission statement to purchasing decisions. Any student organization can apply for this recognition, and depending on the level at which they are able to integrate sustainability, the organization will be certified at either the Contributor (25% – 49% of total survey points), Steward (50% – 74% of total survey points) or Champion levels (75% or more of survey points).
The form submitted to receive any level of certification evaluates eight different practices: mission, training, lead the pack, sustainability for all, transportation, purchasing, waste reduction, and health and wellness. Upon receiving certification, student organizations can promote their achievement in support of their organization’s practices. However, these items differ slightly for the workplace and event certifications.
Additionally, workplaces and events on campus are able to apply for a certification to recognize their sustainable practices. For events, most of the environmental impact is minimized by careful preparation and efficient cleanup afterward. For workplaces, the priority is ensuring an efficient and healthy environment.
While sustainability is supported on campus, there still remains much room for improvement, according to Hall.
“We have a ton of student organizations that are doing workshops and hosting seminars and doing volunteer hours all focused around sustainability, but the efforts are somewhat isolated and pocketed,” Hall said.
Val Mera, a fourth-year studying political science, director of sustainability for Student Government and secretary of Feed the Pack, said she is trying to increase communication between those practicing sustainability on campus.
“I try and get more communication between all the students doing sustainable things on campus through their clubs, organizations or projects, which are all pretty siloed from each other, so my role is being a liaison between the Department of Sustainability and anyone trying to make a sustainable change on campus,” Mera said. “There’s so many sustainable organizations and people who care about it, but they’re all working by themselves because they don’t know about each other.”
NC State has made a notable track record for itself starting in 2009, and a lot of progress has been made. If you want to learn more about sustainability at NC State, you can find their website here. The following are some of the student organizations involved in sustainability:
